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Antiquities of the Red Sea and Aegean Sea

Program Overview

Visit three continents; explore centuries-old landmarks in Greece, Egypt, and Jordan; and cruise from the Aegean Sea to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on this remarkable voyage. View the Minoan Palace at Knossos and continue to Heraklion to visit the Archaeological Museum. Stand in the shadows of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Mid-cruise, overnight in Luxor in a Nile-view room and enjoy a specially arranged visit into the tomb of Queen Nefertari. Discover the historical sites of Jordan on a journey to Wadi Rum, Petra, Jerash, and Amman. Enhance your immersion into these ancient civilizations with the Greece Pre-Program and/or Israel Post-Program Options.

A Spring version of this program is also available.

Program Details

October 31 to November 13, 2023 (Le Bougainville)
From $7,995 plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Uniquely designed, comprehensive, 12-night land and sea program.
  • Seven-night, exclusively chartered cruise aboard the five-star Le Bougainville; each suite and stateroom has a private balcony.
  • Enjoy lectures on board by Dr. Tarek Sayed Tawfik Ahmed, an acclaimed Egyptologist.
  • Overnight in a Nile-view room in fabled Luxor, with visits to Karnak and Luxor Temples, the tombs of Kings Tutankhamen and Ramses IV and by special arrangement, the tomb of Queen Nefertari.
  • One night near the legendary “rose-red city” of Petra, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
  • Three nights in Amman, with a tour of the city and the Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash.
  • Visit millennia-old sites in Greece, Egypt, and Jordan, and cruise from the Aegean Sea to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea.
  • Excursion in the Mediterranean port of Alexandria, founded in 331 B.C. by Alexander the Great and today a cosmopolitan cultural hub.
  • Visit to Giza to see the Great Pyramids and the Great Sphinx.
  • Excursion into the Wadi Rum Protected Area, a traditional Bedouin site.
  • Complimentary alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages throughout the cruise and complimentary Wi-Fi access aboard the ship (conditions permitting).
  • Two-night Classical Greece Pre-Program Option or four-night Israel Post-Program Option.

Day 1 - Depart the U.S. or Canada

Day 2 - Arrive in Athens, Greece/ Embark Le Bougainville

Day 3 - Heraklion, Crete

Day 4 - Day at Sea

Day 5 - Alexandria, Egypt

Day 6 - Sail the Suez Canal

Day 7 - Ain Sokhna for Giza Plateau (Great Pyramids)

Day 8 -  Hurghada for Luxor

Day 9 - Luxor / Safaga

Day 10 - Aqaba, Jordan / Disembark ship / Wadi Rum / Petra

Day 11 - Petra / Amman

Day 12 - Amman

Day 13 - Amman / Jerash / Amman

Day 14 -  Amman / Return to the U.S. or Canada

View detailed program itinerary >

Le Bougainville

Exclusively Chartered, Five-Star Luxury Small Ship

Le Bougainville, launched in 2019, ushers in a new generation of five-star small ships, combining revolutionary design and a new standard of luxury for unparalleled cruising. Dock in smaller ports inaccessible to larger ships, where authentic cultural experiences and majestic scenery await you.

Learn more about the Le Bougainville >

Dr Tarek Guest SpeakerDr. Tarek Sayed Tawfik Ahmed has a BA & MA of Egyptology from Faculty of Archaeology Cairo University and a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Bonn, Germany. He serves as Director of the Centre for Archaeological Studies and International Héritage in Luxor and is the former Director General of the Grand Egyptian Museum Project. Dr. Ahmed joins us on board for exclusive lectures on the culture, way of life, and iconic creations of ancient Egypt.

Classical Greece Pre-Program Option

Extend your time in Athens with a two-night itinerary that includes tours of the Parthenon and the Acropolis Museum, as well as a full-day excursion to the mystical UNESCO World Heritage Site of Delphi and its Archaeological Museum. Accommodations are in the deluxe Grand Bretagne Athens Hotel.

Israel Post-Program Option

This exclusive, four-night itinerary features visits to cultural sites around Jerusalem, including the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. Visit Bethlehem, the UNESCO-designated Masada, and enjoy a float in the Dead Sea. Enjoy deluxe accommodations in Jerusalem.

The Pre-Program and Post-Program Options are available at additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel

Take in incredible views of the Nile from your beautiful, large, modern room with a balcony in this stunning five-star hotel in Luxor.

Mövenpick Resort Petra

In Petra, you'll stay at the the five-star Mövenpick Resort. Located right at the entrance to this ancient city, this unique luxury hotel features arabesque designs, natural stone, carved wood, local textiles, and a wonderful collection of art and antiques. Rooms are modern, stylish, and very comfortable.

Hotel Fairmont Amman

Check in to the five-star Fairmont Hotel Fairmont in Amman. for three nights. This beautiful, modern hotel features gorgeous interiors of fine wood and marble, with large rooms combining classic luxury with modern design, and all of the amenities a traveler could want and then some. The hotel is centrally located, within easy walking distance to the affluent Abdoun neighborhood and the nearby diplomatic area.

Program Rates

Gohagan & Company reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees, promotions and surcharges at any time.

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Program Itinerary

Days 1 and 2 Depart U.S. or Canada / Arrive in Athens, Greece / Embark Le Bougainville

Your trip will begin by departing the U.S. or Canada. Arrive in Athens and embark the ship.

Day 3 Heraklion, Crete

Travel to one of the most legendary sites of all antiquity, the Minoan Palace at Knossos where, in Greek myth, Theseus slew the Minotaur in the Labyrinth built by Daedalus. Dating from the 17th century B.C., the palace is a maze of chambers, staircases and courtyards. Continue to Heraklion to visit the Archaeological Museum. This evening, attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception.

Day 4 Day at Sea

Enjoy a relaxing day cruising the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas and take part in an educational lecture.

Day 5 Alexandria, Egypt

Discover Egypt’s most enchanting city—founded by Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C. Visit the National Museum and the Roman Amphitheater. This afternoon, tour Qaitbey Fort. Enjoy a lecture on board the ship with renowned Egyptologist Dr. Tarek Sayed Tawfik Ahmed.

Day 6 Suez Canal Transit

Experience one of the most momentous voyages between continents transiting the 120-mile Suez Canal—Egypt’s Victorian-era engineering marvel.

Day 7 Ain Sokhna for Giza Plateau

See the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of the Old Kingdom pharaohs. Next, visit the marvelous Grand Egyptian Museum, where you’ll see the spectacular Grand Staircase, King Tut’s amazing treasures and the well-preserved 4,600-year-old Sun Boat of King Khufu. 

Day 8 Hurghada for Luxor

Arrive in Luxor and check into a Nile-view room for an overnight at the Steigenberger Hotel. Travel into the mountains and across the arid desert to Luxor to see the great temples of ancient Thebes.  Explore UNESCO-designated ancient Thebes with a visit to the magnificent Karnak Temple complex. Walk along the avenue of the ram-headed sphinxes into the Great Court and then continue to the Luxor Temple.

Day 9 Luxor for Safaga

Check out of the hotel and cross the Nile to visit one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, the Necropolis at Luxor in the Valley of the Kings. Explore the tomb of Tutankhamen and enjoy an exclusively arranged visit to Queen Nefertari’s tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Return to the ship for the Captain's Farewell Reception.

Day 10 Aqaba, Jordan / Wadi Rum / Petra

Disembark the ship in Aqaba and transfer to the awe-inspiring wilderness of UNESCO World Heritage-designated Wadi Rum, known as the “Valley of the Moon.” Enjoy a Jeep ride through this ethereal landscape of striated canyons, soaring mountains, undulating sand dunes, and rocky caverns. After lunch, travel to Petra to check into the five-star Mövenpick Hotel and enjoy an afternoon at leisure.

Day 11 Petra / Amman

The ancient “rose-red city” of Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The site’s majestic ensemble of temples, dwellings, and tombs—carved directly into the sandstone cliff face—still holds a mythical appeal. Tonight, check into the Fairmont Hotel in Amman.

Day 12 Amman

Enjoy a tour of Amman, starting with the blue-domed King Abdullah Mosque. Visit the Amman Citadel and see the ruins of Hercules temple. Explore the Roman Amphitheater and then continue to the Jordan Museum.

Day 13 Amman / Jerash / Amman

Enjoy a scenic journey to Jerash, Jordan’s most captivating Greco-Roman site. See baths; theaters; plazas; fountains; and arches, incredibly still as they were 2,000 years ago. Marvel at the three-gated Hadrian’s Arch, walk the Sacred Way to the Temple of Artemis and take in the sublime architecture of the Forum. Enjoy lunch in Jerash before heading back to Amman to attend the Farewell Reception this evening.

Day 14 Amman / U.S. or Canada

After breakfast at the hotel, join the Jerusalem Post-Program Option or transfer to the airport for your return flight home.